Benefits of the New Method: Enhanced Efficiency: The filter membrane allows air exchange while preventing bacterial contamination, eliminating the need for frequent cap opening and reducing the risk of errors. Improved Reproducibility: The standardized protocol ensures consistent results, with a 100% success rate in generating germ-free flies compared to the previous 70%–80% rate. Streamlined Process: This method simplifies the entire process, making it more accessible to researchers and allowing for larger-scale experiments. Implications for Research: This advancement opens doors for deeper exploration of the intricate dance between hosts ...

What if a critical piece of the puzzle of brain aging has been hiding in plain sight? While neuroscience has long focused on proteins and DNA, a team of Stanford researchers dared to shift their gaze to sugars – specifically the complex sugar chains that cover all our cells like chain mail. Their investigation revealed how changes in this sugary armor on the brain’s frontline cells could be key to understanding cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer’s. “This is like landing on a new planet,” ...

ITHACA, N.Y. – Leveraging national surveys, big data, and machine learning, Cornell University researchers have developed a new approach to mapping poverty that could help policymakers and NGOs better identify the neediest populations in poor countries and allocate resources more effectively. To eliminate extreme poverty, defined as surviving on less than $2.15 per person per day, governments and development and humanitarian agencies need to know how many people live under that threshold, and where. Yet that information ...

They may both be Olympic host cities, but Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, the major population hubs of their respective states, are much different places. However, they both experience poor air quality and share valley topography that traps pollutants during weather inversions. Utah and Southern California differ sharply in their approaches to this problem, with the latter implementing more stringent regulations and fuel standards aimed at reducing emissions from motor vehicles. New research from the University ...

Three West Virginia University nursing faculty know firsthand the difficulties faced by family caregivers and their chronically ill loved ones. With a $2.7 million award from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research that is one of the largest ever for the WVU School of Nursing, the faculty researchers aim to support these families while increasing access to care in the rural reaches of the Mountain State by testing an integrated, nurse-led intervention for family home care management of end-stage heart failure and palliative care. “We want to know if there’s a way we can help relieve the suffering for these individuals ...

A new 15-minute tool to screen stroke survivors for visual perception problems has been launched by researchers from Durham and Oxford universities. The free screening tool could make it easier for health professionals to identify difficulties in patients after a stroke and meet the need for an assessment that is quick and simple to administer. The research behind the screening tool, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Stroke Association, is published in Clinical Rehabilitation today. Up to 76 per cent of stroke ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Social media influencers who are passionate about environmental causes can help the tourism industry inspire tourists to engage in pro-environmental behavior to help mitigate waste and pollution, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. The research team found that influencers who are highly passionate about sustainability lifestyles — coined “green influencers” — can increase tourists’ environmental support through social media messaging. The researchers also found that environmental support, or backing waste reduction and wildlife conservation efforts, ...

Tufts University has been recognized again as one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. During the 2024-2025 academic year, 13 students from Tufts were selected for Fulbright awards and are currently studying and researching across the globe.  Tufts has received this honor several times in recent years, including most recently in 2023-2024 and 2021-2022. The U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program, the Fulbright U.S. Student program offers a year-long grant for students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Scientists at Penn State have harnessed a unique property called incipient ferroelectricity to create a new type of computer memory that could revolutionize how electronic devices work, such as using much less energy and operating in extreme environments like outer space.   They published their work, which focuses on multifunctional two-dimensional field-effect transistors (FETs), in Nature Communications. FETs are advanced electronic devices that use ultra-thin layers of materials to control electrical signals, offering multiple functions like switching, sensing or memory in a compact form. They are ferroelectric-like, ...

In preparing children for a racially unequal society, families of colour can benefit from more support, study finds Researcher says parents should double down on key messages, which focus on feeling pride, valuing diversity and recognizing and responding to discrimination   A McGill-led team of researchers has gained insight into how parents of colour in the United States approach discussions with their children aimed at teaching them the skills they need to survive and thrive in a racially unequal society. A key finding of the recent paper in Developmental Psychology is that parents are especially in need of information, support and ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State engineering student refined a century-old math problem into a simpler, more elegant form, making it easier to use and explore. Divya Tyagi’s work expands research in aerodynamics, unlocking new possibilities in wind turbine design that Hermann Glauert, a British aerodynamicist and the original author, did not consider.    Tyagi, a graduate student pursuing her master’s degree in aerospace engineering, completed this work as a Penn State undergraduate for her Schreyer Honors College thesis. Her research was published in Wind Energy Science. “I created an addendum ...

Pre-existing immunity against seasonal H1N1 flu might help explain why most reported human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. have not resulted in lethal outcomes, suggests a new study by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Emory University researchers. The report was published last week in Emerging Infectious Diseases. In a ferret model of virus transmission used to study the potential of viruses to spread between people, pre-existing immunity appeared to influence infection severity in ferrets. Compared to immunologically naïve ...

ITHACA, N.Y. – It’s common knowledge that sugar causes cavities, but new Cornell University research provides evidence that – depending on your genetic makeup – starches could also be a contributing factor. The study, published in Microorganisms, explores the response of the oral microbiome to starch, finding that the number of copies of a particular gene, AMY1, in combination with starch, alters the complex composition of bacteria that play a role in oral health. “Most people have been warned that if you eat a bunch of sugar, make sure you brush your teeth,” said Angela Poole, senior author and assistant professor of molecular nutrition. “The ...

A new study of more than 2,900 patients provides evidence that it’s likely best to use as little corticosteroid medicine as possible when treating people who have lupus pericarditis, a common heart complication of the autoimmune disease Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). This study, funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and led by Johns Hopkins Medicine cardiologists and rheumatologists who led the study say their analysis of data affirms that using steroids to curb heart inflammation and other painful symptoms for lupus patients ...

UCLA scientists have identified a potential new strategy for treating glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, by reprogramming aggressive cancer cells into harmless ones.   The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate that combining radiation therapy with a plant-derived compound called forskolin can force glioblastoma cells into a dormant state, making them incapable of dividing or spreading. When tested in mice, the addition of forskolin to radiation prolonged survival, offering a potential new avenue for combating glioblastoma, a disease with limited treatment options and a median ...

Researchers at University of California San Diego have revealed promising results from a study evaluating the university’s “Strong Foundations” program, a digitally delivered fall prevention initiative for older adults. The findings, recently published in JMIR-Aging, emphasize the program’s effectiveness in improving posture, balance and strength — key factors in reducing fall risk. “This study showcases the potential of accessible, online exercise programs to significantly enhance physical function for older adults,” said Ryan Moran, ...

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of many cancers, but brain tumors such as gliomas remain particularly difficult to treat, in part because they potently suppress immune responses. New findings from researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) could help make immunotherapies for brain cancer more effective. The team analyzed almost 200,000 individual immune cells called myeloid cells from tumor samples from patients with glioma, the most common and aggressive type of primary brain cancer. In a new study in Nature, ...

ROCKVILLE, MD – The Obesity Society (TOS) acknowledges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent announcement declaring the end of shortages for Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic; two critical medications in the treatment of obesity and diabetes. This development signifies a pivotal advancement in patient care, ensuring broader access to these essential, FDA-approved therapies. This announcement follows the agency’s December 19th decision that Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, marketed as Zepbound for weight loss, was no longer in shortage and it would give compounders 60 to 90 days before putting a stop to their production of the copycat GLP-1s.  During ...

PHILADELPHIA (February 26, 2025) – Imagine a future where the grip of cocaine use disorder can be loosened, where cravings fade, and the risk of relapse diminishes. A new study published in Science Advances, led by Penn Nursing’s Heath Schmidt, PhD, brings this vision closer to reality. The research has identified a critical brain circuit that plays a pivotal role in regulating cocaine-seeking behavior. Cocaine use disorder casts a long shadow, trapping individuals in a cycle of dependence and leaving limited options for effective treatment. This study delves deep into the brain, offering ...

Education experts at the University of South Australia are encouraging schools to consider problem-based learning (PBL) in a move to improve engagement and creativity among high school students.   The call follows new Productivity Commission data that shows national school attendance rates over the past year have decreased from 88.8% in Year 7 to 84% in Year 10. Government schools are worst hit, with only 73% of public-school students completing year 12, as compared with nearly 80% in 2017.   New UniSA research demonstrates how hands-on, community-based projects can deliver successful ...

Please mention in your story that the study is published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. MINNEAPOLIS — ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, can sometimes be difficult to diagnose or to predict how quickly the disease is likely to progress. A new study helps determine which blood tests are best at identifying and monitoring ALS. The study is published in the February 26, 2025, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Having an effective biomarker can be highly valuable—in addition to helping ...

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2025 Media Contacts: Renee Tessman, rtessman@aan.com, (612) 928-6137 Natalie Conrad, nconrad@aan.com, (612) 928-6164 Drug may prevent some migraine attacks in children and teens MINNEAPOLIS – For children and teens living with migraine, there may be a new preventive treatment, according to a preliminary study released today, February 26, 2025, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 77th Annual Meeting taking place April 5–9, 2025, in San Diego ...

Although preventing all the consequences of climate change is now impossible, we can adopt policies to mitigate its impact. In a set of policy recommendations produced by the University of Jyväskylä, researchers examine the development of sustainable livelihoods in the Sundarbans, a coastal region of India and Bangladesh that is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The Sundarbans is one of the largest threatened mangrove ecosystems, which efficiently store carbon dioxide and protect coastal areas from cyclones. In a research project funded by the Research Council ...

Shark sightings by scuba divers reveal the movements of marine predators throughout the year, according to a study published February 26, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by George Balchin, William Hughes and colleagues at the University of Sussex, U.K., and Aquaplanet Dive Center, South Africa. Many sharks move through different habitats as they follow food or search for mates. Since they are major predators, they change the shape of the ecosystems they visit. Examining these movements is key to understanding the health of ocean habitats as well as the impacts of human activity, but it is notoriously ...

Eavesdropping on baleen whale songs in the Pacific Ocean reveals year-to-year variations that track changes in the availability of the species they forage on, reports a new study led by John Ryan, of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), U.S., published February 26, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One. In the vast oceans, monitoring populations of large marine animals can be a major challenge for ecologists. Scientists deploy underwater microphones called hydrophones to study and track baleen whales, which communicate ...